The Official 'Tupac' Movie May Finally Get Made

The long-gestating Tupac movie is finally making some headway, lining up financing and a new production team in recent days.

To be titled simply "Tupac," the biopic will tell the life story of Tupac Shakur, the rapper and west-coast thug-life icon who was gunned down in 1996 at age 25. Despite his life getting cut short, Shakur left behind a musical treasure trove, and his recordings have continued to sell in the tens of millions since his death.

The biopic will take advantage of that catalog, with full musical rights being granted by Tupac's mother, Afeni Shakur, who will serve as a co-producer on the project. Production hopes to get underway in February 2014, and screenwriters hope to complete a new draft of the script in the next few weeks.

"Tupac" has been kicking around Hollywood for several years, with various actors and directors attached to the film. Deadline reports that this new financing makes the movie's future more certain, and filmmakers are currently deciding whether to seek an established rapper or unknown talent to star. We can expect some fierce competition in the audition process for the coveted role.